COVID-19

• Monitor your symptoms and stay home if you are sick. 
• Use hand sanitizer and wash your hands when your teacher asks you to.
• Sit away from other students on the bus as much as possible, unless they live with you.
• Stay three feet apart as much as possible.

Masks are no longer required universally in schools. However, there will be situations in which Tukwila Schools may temporarily require the use of a well-fitting mask in collaboration with Public Health - Seattle & King County recommendations.

Situations for Required Wearing of Masks

• Anyone who exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms is required to immediately isolate from others and sent home. While waiting to leave, they are required to wear a well-fitting mask, if tolerated and age-appropriate.
• Anyone providing care or evaluation to the isolated individual is required to wear appropriate PPE, including a mask.
• In the isolation room and the nurse/health room, as they are considered health care settings.
• Masks may also be required universally during clusters and/outbreaks in classrooms or with groups of students to limit disease transmission and ensure in-person instruction and care.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

When working with students who don’t wear masks under a reasonable accommodation (medical concerns, students with disabilities, etc.), the staff members are strongly encouraged to wear:

• Disposable gowns
• Face shields
• Masks
• Gloves (change gloves between every session with students)

PPE, including testing kits, is available for staff, students, and visitors at a designated site in each building.

Accommodations for students with disabilities is an individualized approach, in alignment with each student’s IEP and the school’s site-based safety plan. School leadership, staff, students, and families can collaborate on strategies to provide the least restrictive instructional environment possible while maintaining the health and safety of all individuals involved. For example, a student who is unable to wear a mask due to their disability is not required to wear a mask, and the school staff involved, will use best practices to continue to support the plan for that individual student in the classroom.

PERSON-TO-PERSON DISTANCING

• We maintain three-foot distancing between individuals to the greatest extent possible.

CLASSROOMS & INSTRUCTIONAL SPACES

• Desks in classrooms allow for three-foot social distancing for elementary and secondary grade levels to the greatest extent possible.  
• Three to six feet physical distance in classrooms between students to the greatest extent possible. 
• Physical distancing recommendations should not prevent a school from offering full-time, in-person learning to all students/families.

LARGER COMMUNITY SPACES, INCLUDING CAFETERIAS

Tukwila Schools continues to encourage schools to maximize distance between students to the degree possible for the following circumstances: 

• For all staff and students in common areas and community settings outside of the classroom, such as school lobbies and auditoriums. 
• In cafeterias: Schools may use alternative strategies/accommodations to maximize spacing:
  • Permanent outdoor covered area where lunchtime can occur while minimizing interfering with recess or other outdoor activities.
  • Other large community spaces where lunchtime can occur without interfering with other activities and academic schedules; taking into consideration supervisory capacity.
  • Adding additional lunch periods to assist in hosting smaller groups of students in the cafeteria; taking into consideration budget and staffing impact(s). Such provisions can include layered prevention strategies such as additional HEPA filters.
• Breakfast:  To the extent possible, students should be socially distanced when eating breakfast. Breakfast in the classroom is a viable option (grab and go) if necessitated by school safety plans and in consideration of potential labor implications.
• Elementary: Schools should implement a table assignment system for students during mealtimes. When not eating or drinking, students should remain socially distanced to the extent possible. Students should be staggered at the table in a way that prevents students from directly facing/sitting in front of each other.
• Secondary: Schools should label lunch tables and encourage social distancing to the extent possible. Students should be staggered in a way that prevents students from directly facing/sitting in front of each other.

SPORTING EVENTS 

• Audience members should be seated in “family units” and those small groups should be spaced at least 3 feet apart.

Physical Activity & Recess

• Six feet of physical distance is the goal for all staff and students during activities when increased exhalation occurs, such as PE, exercise, or shouting, regardless of vaccination status. These activities should be moved outdoors or to large, well ventilated spaces whenever possible. 

  • Recess: In both indoor and outdoor scenarios, all students are, to the degree possible, remain at least three-feet apart. 

While masks are no longer universally required, additional strategies to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission during bus routes and transportation can include keeping riders as far apart as possible on the bus and maximizing ventilation on the bus by keeping at least two front and two rear windows open a few inches to the extent possible. Staff are also encouraged to leave windows open to air out the bus after runs and clean as needed. Students and staff are encouraged to maintain strong hand washing/sanitizing etiquette  both before and after boarding a bus.

Governor Inslee has mandated that all school employees be vaccinated by October 18, 2021. The state has not mandated that students be vaccinated; however, we strongly encourage all eligible students be vaccinated for everyone's safety.

COVID-19 vaccines are not mandated for students.

Isolation

A student, child, or staff who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to isolate at home or where they are currently residing, regardless of vaccination status. The individual may return after 5 full days of isolation if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms have improved and they have had no fever for the past 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

Repeating initial tests does not change the isolation protocol; a positive test initiates the isolation protocol. Additionally, individuals who test positive using antigen or at-home tests towards the end of the full 5 days of isolation, and/or on days 6-10, are required to complete the 10 full days of isolation. Testing after day 10 is not recommended.

Quarantine

Students experiencing COVID symptoms who have been identified as close contacts or are within the same core group (sports activity, class, etc.) as a positive case should quarantine and get tested for COVID. 

Contact Tracing 

Contact tracing will be performed to identify close contacts of positive cases. Core groups will be notified and an email will be sent to staff with non-identifying positive case information.

Families will receive the following communications regarding COVID-19 cases, exposure, and changes in policy:

Exposure/Outbreak Communication to Families/Staff

Letter Communication: a letter goes out to guardians of close contacts, with the following information: 

• Last date of exposure, 

• Quarantine requirements depending on preschool vs. school aged-guidelines, vaccination status, masking habits, etc.

• Symptoms to look out for before allowing students to return to school, 

• Close contact definition, 

• Resources listing symptoms and testing sites, and 

• Contact information of building health assistant/RN and district nurse, contact tracer and quarantine specialist.

Verbal Communication: in the event that a student needs to be quarantined (e.g. preschool students) the student’s parent/guardian is contacted via letter and telephone with notification of:

•  The close contact,

•  Last date of exposure, 

• Date to return, 5 days with testing vs 10 days without testing depending on preschool vs school aged guidelines and vaccination status,

• And symptoms to look out for before allowing the student to return to school. Parents/Guardians have the opportunity to ask questions at this time. 

• An interpreter is utilized as needed

• Quarantine specialist acquires a list of quarantined students and follows up with families to determine need for services/resources.

Changes/Updates to COVID Policies and/or Procedures

Email/Website Communication: If there is an update regarding changes to COVID policies or a need to implement interventions to prevent the spread of the virus during an outbreak, the information will be sent through email via Skyward, and will be posted to the TSD website (linked in email) so families are able to translate as needed.

Masks are no longer required universally in schools. However, there will be situations in which Tukwila Schools may temporarily require the use of a well-fitting mask in collaboration with Public Health - Seattle & King County recommendations. 

Situations for Required Wearing of Masks

• Anyone who exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms is required to immediately isolate from others and sent home. While waiting to leave, they are required to wear a well-fitting mask, if tolerated and age-appropriate.
• Anyone providing care or evaluation to the isolated individual is required to wear appropriate PPE, including a mask.
• Masks are also required in the isolation room and the nurse/health room, as there are considered health care settings.
• Masks may also be required universally during clusters and/outbreaks in classrooms or with groups of students to limit disease transmission and ensure in-person instruction and care. 

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

When working with students who don’t wear masks under a reasonable accommodation (medical concerns, students with disabilities, etc.), the staff members are strongly encouraged to wear:

• Disposable gowns
• Face shields
• Masks
• Gloves (change gloves between every session with students)

PPE is available for staff, students, and visitors in the Custodial Office in each building.

Employees may choose to exercise additional precautions. Staff may: Continue to wear masks.  N95 and KN95 masks will continue to be available at all work sites.  Request a face shield from their supervisor.  Face shields will be available at all work sites. Consistently utilize thorough hygiene routines at the work site.

We value our employees, and the safety of our staff is a priority.  We follow public health guidelines for everyone’s health and safety. All PPE is available to staff in the custodial office at each building.

School employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19. A directive from Governor Inslee legally requires Tukwila Schools staff to show proof of vaccination or a medical or religious exemption.

During In-Person Learning, custodial staff will disinfect the high-use areas several times during the day, i.e., main office counters, sinks, door handles, classroom counters, drinking fountains, staff lounges, handrails, light switches, etc., using a Buckeye E-23 Neutral Disinfectant with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Restrooms, nurse complex areas, Isolation rooms, and locker rooms will be disinfected daily using the electrostatic sprayer Clorox 360.

All Building Staff are required to clean their workspace at the end of their day; this includes spaces used within the classrooms. We have provided Buckeye Eco E-15 Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner with a paper towel. To clean electronics, we have provided Alcohol wipes.

Head Custodians have placed a squirt bottle of E-15 on the classroom counter, paper towels, and alcohol wipes. If materials need to be refilled, please get in touch with your head custodian.

• The HVAC system runs on occupied mode Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., bringing as much outside air as possible.
• Air Flush (fresh air) is done daily from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Hepa Air cleaners in rooms with no ventilation or isolation areas.

Schools will post signage in classrooms and bathrooms about proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette.

Schools will post signage in hallways, classrooms, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread of COVID-19 (symptoms, preventative measures, good hygiene, proper respiratory etiquette, school/district specific protocols, etc.)

Volunteers are welcome in our buildings if they are approved by the school and meet the current COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Interns (teacher, social worker) will follow Human Resources procedures and must also meet the current Covid-19 vaccination requirements.